I have now been to Cuba twice. Both times for two weeks, and both times unintentionally ending up in the same destinations. If I go again, I definitely want to get down south - to Santiago de Cuba, Bayamo and definitely Baracoa, the oldest Spanish settlement in Cuba. One day I will return, but for now I can only talk about where I have been.

First, Havana. I never know what I do here to be honest. I think I just walk. For tourists, Havana is split up into three central areas. Havana Vieja, or Old Havana, is where most of the colonial buildings are. Here we walked around checking out Plaza de la Catedral and other little squares. Very touristy. Very beautiful. Havana Centro is my favourite, and where I mostly stayed. The Capitolio is the gateway to working class Havana and here you find the buildings are more derelict than Old Havana. We ate mostly in this area of town too, as we could find cheaper prices than the touristy old town. Havana Vedado was my first introduction to Havana, back in 2011, and this is probably the newest part of Havana developed between the 1930s and 1960s when American money was pouring in. The buildings are high rises of this era and therefore not as beautiful as Centro or Vieja. Two of my favourite Havana haunts are here though - the Malecon, which is the sea wall stretching 8km from Vedado to the old town. And Hotel de Nacional, the hotel made famous by the mafia and many Hollywood celebrities who stayed during the 1950s. No stay in Havana is complete without a night or two here.

The Malecon

You see these guys everywhere.

Fidel, near the Plaza de la Revolution

The Capitolio

Half my time in Cuba was in Havana but if anyone asks me the highlights I can't really be sure. One night we watched a baseball game between the Industralies and Santiago de Cuba, which is Cuba's version of Yankees vs Red Sox. One evening we managed to sneak past reception in the Saratonga hotel to have cocktails on the rooftop overlooking the Capitolio. We found the icecream shop made famous by the movie Fresa y Chocolate. But mostly we just walked around a city, stuck in time, like no where else I've even been. If Havana is so beautiful after fifty years of neglect, imagine it all those years ago.

Hotel de Nacional

Vinales is a favourite, but this may have less to do with the beautiful scenery and more to do with the meals cooked by my favourite Cuban host Oneida.

Vinales is a small valley town in Pinar del Rio, a province about three hours south west of Havana. The region is mainly farmland, producing some of the best cigars in the world. Surrounding the farms are mountains called mogotes ("haystacks"). These are limestone mountains where the stone has eroded away creating steep sides but leaving the rounded tops. On both trips I spent a couple of nights in Vinales and both times I did a tour of the farmlands, visiting a local tobacco plantation as well as exploring the caves underneath the mountains. I preferred doing the tour on foot, as the conditions of the horses were not great. Definitely, definitely stay with Oneida at Casa el Bostezo or with her friend next door at Casa Los Estrellas, and make sure you try their black bean soup and lobster dinner. This meal is the reason I returned to Vinales. Say Hi from me!